It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be.
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Hello! I’m Xinran.
Product Designer. Mentor. Speaker. Author.
I help aspiring career changers live the lives they deserve.
The Portfolio Secrets (New Release!)
Why do great portfolios look great? Do they have secrets?
As the third book of the series, this 194-page guide helps product designers elevate their portfolios with actionable tips and in-depth examples, offering a unique angle compared to many online resources. It unveils the secrets behind 18 carefully selected portfolios, dissecting each facet from structure to visuals.
Case Study Storytelling
Case Study Storytelling is my best-selling book on crafting and presenting compelling case studies.
A great case study presentation is the most important key to landing a great job as a product designer. However, it is a challenging yet complex topic. Storytelling in case studies is not just about telling a compelling story out of what you already have. It's much more than that. It is a strategic tool that can help you stay focused, prioritize tasks, save time, and gain clarity.
The Minimalist Career Changer
This is a book I wrote to help aspiring career changers break into product design in less time. A book I wish existed when I was making the career switch from architecture to product design.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award Recipient
#1 Amazon Best Seller in Job Markets & Advice
“...a no-nonsense, plain-speaking how-to book that delivers exactly what it promises...”
—Readers' Favorite ★★★★★
Speaking
Leveraging AI in Product Design | AI Community Conference | Microsoft | June 2024
Leveraging AI in Figma | UXPA Austin | May 2024
Figma x AI — From User Flows to Wireframes | University of Connecticut | April 2024
Workshop — Writing Case Studies | Pratt Institute | April 2024
Navigating the future of AI in Product Design | University of Connecticut | March 2024
How to Use Storytelling to Create a Strong UX Portfolio that Gets You Hired | Beginex | September 2023
How to Break Into Product Design in 5 Months or Less | ADPList | July 2023
Tips for Cross-Functional Collaboration as a Product Designer | University of Connecticut | March 2023
How To Change Careers to UX in Minimum Time - Portfolio | Luma | February 2022
How To Change Careers to UX in Minimum Time - Case Study | Luma | January 2022
How To Change Careers to UX in Minimum Time - Mindset| Luma | January 2022
How to Search for Your First UX Job during COVID-19 | Beginex | October 2020
Visual Storytelling | UX Camp NYC | June 2019
Mentorship
Do you want to make a career change, but struggle with limited time?
I’ve been there. I was a mid-career architect, trying hard to break into product design with a busy full-time job and a newborn, with only a maximum of 15 hours a week to spend on my career change. I struggled a lot. I felt it was too late. I had interviewed with all kinds of companies including tech giants, but just couldn’t land a job offer. After countless trials and errors, I finally made it.
Since 2020, I have carved out time almost every week to talk with product designers and career changers. I am honored to have received ADPList Top 1% Mentors in Design five times, run workshops at universities like UConn and Pratt, and have 40+ articles curated by UX Collective. With all the insights I learned from 200+ mentees, 30+ mentors, and my own journey, I can help you maximize your limited time to land your dream job in product design as soon as possible.
I have two main offerings:
Free consultation (15 min)
General Inquiry
Understanding goals
Preliminary assessment
1:1 Mentorship (45 min)
Comprehensive evaluation
Actionable strategies tailored for you
Resources, career support, and more
Newsletter—Design with AI
Design with AI is a digital publication exploring the potential of AI in design. Over the past year, I have been exploring what AI can do in design and documenting my learnings along the way.
My goal is to write practical articles every week to help designers design better, faster, and smarter with AI.
Free Resources
Top Behavioral Questions in Product Design Interviews
Xinran’s Product Book Notes
Let’s chat.
If you have any questions or just want to say hi, drop me a line here. It will send me an email and I always respond. I’d love to hear from you!